Data from: Migratory timing, rate, routes and wintering areas of white-crested elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis), a key seed disperser for Patagonian forest regeneration

Citation
Cueto VR, Bravo SP. 2017. Data from: Migratory timing, rate, routes and wintering areas of white-crested elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis), a key seed disperser for Patagonian forest regeneration. Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.406327g0
Abstract
Migratory animals often play key ecological roles within the communities they visit throughout their annual journeys. As a consequence of the links between biomes mediated by migrants, changes in one biome could affect remote areas in unpredictable ways. Migratory routes and timing of most Neotropical austral migrants, which breed at south temperate latitudes of South America and overwinter closer to or within tropical latitudes of South America, have yet to be described in detail. As a result, our understanding about how these birds provide links between South American biomes is almost non-existent. White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis) is a long-distance austral migrant that breeds in the Patagonian Forest biome and overwinters in tropical South America. Because this small flycatcher plays a key role in the regeneration of this ecosystem, our objective was to describe the annual cycle of White-crested elaenias to evaluate the degree of migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering areas and therefore to determine if there are specific biomes of northern South America linked by elaenias to Patagonian forests. Fifteen individuals were successfully tracked throughout a complete migration cycle using miniature light-level geolocators. All individuals resided and moved through the same general regions. During fall (March-April-May), elaenias were located in the Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest biomes, from Rio de Janeiro to the region near Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. During winter (June-July-Aug), birds were located further inland, within the Cerrado biome. Birds used three different routes during fall migration. Our results indicate that some individuals use a direct route, flying between 500-600 km/day, crossing desert and grasslands, while others took a detour, flying 100-200 km/day through forested areas with refueling opportunities. All birds used the Yunga forest during spring migration, with ten out 15 individuals showing a clear counterclockwise loop trajectories throughout their annual cycle. None of the elaenias passed through Amazonia, traveled to western South America or crossed the Equator. Eleanias exhibited a high migratory connectivity between breeding area in Patagonian Forests and winter areas, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. Our results suggest that Patagonian Forests could be strongly impacted by changes in those biomes or in the Yungas.
Keywords
Elaenia albiceps,animal tracking,Neotropical austral migrants,avian migration,Elaenia albiceps,Elaenia albiceps chilensis,light-level loggers,migratory connectivity,seed dispersal,white-crested elaenia
Taxa
Taxon
Elaenia albiceps
White-crested Elaenia
Related Workflows
BibTex
@misc{001/1_406327g0,
  title = {Data from: Migratory timing, rate, routes and wintering areas of white-crested elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis), a key seed disperser for Patagonian forest regeneration},
  author = {Cueto, VR and Bravo, SP},
  year = {2017},
  URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.406327g0},
  doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.406327g0},
  publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
ID  - doi:10.5441/001/1.406327g0
T1  - Data from: Migratory timing, rate, routes and wintering areas of white-crested elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis), a key seed disperser for Patagonian forest regeneration
AU  - Cueto, Victor R.
AU  - Bravo, Susana P.
Y1  - 2017/01/30
KW  - Elaenia albiceps
KW  - animal movement
KW  - animal tracking
KW  - Neotropical austral migrants
KW  - avian migration
KW  - Elaenia albiceps
KW  - Elaenia albiceps chilensis
KW  - light-level loggers
KW  - migratory connectivity
KW  - seed dispersal
KW  - white-crested elaenia
KW  - Elaenia albiceps
PB  - Movebank data repository
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.406327g0
DO  - doi:10.5441/001/1.406327g0
ER  -
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